Andy Young hospitalized after falling ill in Nashville

Former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young is expected to be admitted to Emory University Hospital this afternoon after falling ill on a weekend trip to Nashville.

“He had a minor infection and ran a fever,” said Young’s daughter, Andrea Young. “He is recovering well.”

Andrea Young, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said her father was scheduled to deliver the keynote for the Fisk University baccalaureate service on Sunday when he fell ill.

He did not speak at the Fisk event.

“He is so generous with his time and Fisk is an American Missionary Association school that has such an iconic role in the civil rights movement,” Andrea Young said. “He pushed himself harder than he should have.”

Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young was hospitalized this weekend in Nashville.

The 86-year-old civil rights legend and politician spent three days at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Andrea Young said her father would be consulting with his personal physicians at Emory.

Young’s son is traveling with him from Nashville back to Atlanta.

“We know the city loves him, but we are asking for no visitors,” Andrea Young said. “He always wants to respond to people. But the best thing they can do for him is pray. But we have no doubt that he will make a full recovery.”

Young was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1977 until 1979 and the mayor of Atlanta from 1982 until 1990.

Follow myajc.com for updates. Political columnist Jim Galloway contributed to this article.